IRWINDALE >> Three City Council candidates, who ran a tight race, missed the deadlines to file campaign finance disclosure forms that were due before the Nov. 5 election, according to an official in the City Clerk’s Office.

As of Wednesday morning, Councilman Albert “Albie” Ambriz and former Councilman David “Chico” Fuentes had not filed campaign finance disclosure forms required by the state’s Fair Political Practices Commission, according to Acting Deputy City Clerk Armando Hegdahl.

The campaign finance disclosure forms should have been filed by either Sept. 26 or Oct. 24, depending on whether the candidates file individually or if they form a committee, according to the FPPC.

“There are deadlines, and those have come and passed. We’re trying to work with them,” Hegdahl said this week. “We keep requesting and insisting they file.”

Richard Hertz, a spokesman for the FPPC, said the Irwindale city clerk should refer all non-filers to the FPPC.

He said the FPPC takes action on all referrals. As of Wednesday, the FPPC had not received referrals from Irwindale, Hertz said.

Fines can be imposed against the candidates for filing late. The fine is about $10 per day, although the total amount of the fine can’t exceed the total amount of contributions raised.

Councilman H. Manuel Ortiz filed his forms Jan. 13. Ambriz filed his forms Wednesday evening after inquiries were made about the reports, according to documents obtained by this newspaper.

When reached by phone Wednesday afternoon before he filed, Ambriz said he thought because he didn’t spend or receive more than $1,000 in campaign money, he didn’t have to file documents.

“I thought that was taken care of,” he said, adding he would be clarifying with the city clerk.

Fuentes did not respond to a call for comment.

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Filers who receive less than $1,000 in campaign contributions are not required to form a committee and do not have to detail contributions or expenditures, Hegdahl said. Typically, he said, candidates in Irwindale do not spend or receive more than $1,000 during an election.

“That’s what they’ve indicated to us,” he said.

The election this fall was about as close as vote tallies can get. The winner and the loser were separated by just three votes.

Fuentes lost his seat by two votes to Ambriz, a former code enforcement officer for the city.

Ortiz topped the ticket and was re-elected for a third term.

Forty-three percent of the registered voters in the city of 1,400 residents cast ballots.

Ortiz received $2,000 in campaign contributions, so he was required to form a committee and detail his expenditures and contributions.

He received a $1,500 contribution from the Utility Workers’ Union of America Local 132, based in Santa Ana, which represents workers at the Southern California Gas Company. The remaining $500 in contributions was a loan to himself.

Ortiz spent $1,500 on campaign paraphernalia, campaign literature and mailings and office expenses. He made his purchases at CampaignLA in Gardena, De La Rosa Photography in West Covina, Office Depot in Monrovia, Staples in Covina, Wright Designs in Covina and the U.S. post office branch in Irwindale. He made a $100 contribution to Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church in Irwindale.